Walk Away
by shmulia
Summary: He watched her leave over and over again.
1. The Break Up

He watched her walk towards the press conference waiting for her outside, the ghost of their last kiss on his lips. He wanted to call after her, to tell her that they were being idiots and that of _course_ they worked. Anything to make her stay.

But he didn't.

Korra paused when she reached the doors, preparing herself for the onslaught of questions that she was about to face, all about her decision to leave the spirit portal open. She placed her hand on the door, ready to open it, and hesitated.

"Were we worth it?" She asked, not looking back at him, her voice echoing around the room. The question was loaded with emotion, Korra desperately trying to justify the breaking of her heart.

The past six months flashed through Mako's mind: their first kiss, their first date, the Glacier Spirits Festival, the arguments, and the overwhelming pain that ending their relationship had caused.

"Every second of it."

Korra's shoulders relaxed slightly, before tensing up again almost instantaneously. Her fingers clenched the door handle, and Mako expected her to leave without another word. Instead she just stood there, unmoving for a moment before breaking the silence.

"I think so too," Korra said, the catch in her voice obvious, before pushing the door open and leaving to face the media.

The door swung shut behind her as she walked away, leaving Mako in a room with nothing but his breaking heart for company.


	2. The Boat

The boat to the Southern Water Tribe seemed to mock Mako as it sailed into the horizon. _Watch as I take her away,_ it said, _watch her leave again._

It was the best thing for her, he knew that. After her fight with Zaheer, Korra needed time to recover, to heal both physically and mentally. She would only be gone for a few weeks.

But _spirits_, it hurt to watch her leave.

Despite Bolin's reassurances that she would be back soon, Mako knew that more than a fortnight would go by before they saw Korra again. The poison had taken its toll on her, and he knew that some wounds couldn't be healed that quickly.

The boat had become a dot on the horizon when Bolin placed an arm around Mako and Asami respectively.

"She's a fighter, guys. She'll be back before you know it – we probably won't even have time to miss her before she's riding Naga through Republic City, wanting to know where her welcome back party is!" Bolin said cheerily. When this failed to get a reaction, Bolin spoke more seriously.

"We'll write to her all the time. She'll feel like she's in Republic City, she'll hear so much about it. All we can do is wait for her to come home, and then we can help her with whatever she needs. But right now, she's where she needs to be." The earthbender gave his companions a squeeze on their shoulders. "Now come on. The sooner we get back, the more we'll have to write about to Korra!"

Mako heard Asami sigh. "You're right, Bolin. Let's head back." she said, pulling out of Bolin's one-armed embrace. Mako extracted himself from his brother as well, before playfully punching him on the arm.

"When did you get so smart, lil bro?" he asked. Bolin pouted.

"I'm more than just a pretty face, Mako." he said, his pout becoming a grin as he winked at the firebender. Mako rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Bo." he replied. The trio began to walk away from the pier, Mako's head turning to get a final glimpse of the boat as it took Korra away. When he turned back, he noticed that Asami had done the same thing.

Their eyes met as they turned their heads forward, and Mako found himself wanting to repeat Bolin's words, to tell Asami (and maybe himself) that Korra would return soon, that she wasn't leaving them for long.

He just wasn't sure he believed it.


	3. The Wedding

It was difficult to dance with his arm in a sling. Mako was very much in demand at the wedding of Varrick and Zhu Li – Bolin couldn't resist telling everyone about Mako's actions in Kuvira's giant mecha-suit, and his near sacrifice had given him the status of 'hero' to the people of Republic City – but after a few dances with his favourite ladies (Asami, Pema, Opal, and Jinora being the select few), Mako's arm began to twinge. Kya had healed it to the best of her ability, but she had told him that only time could completely heal the flesh that had been burned away by his lightning, and even then he would have a scar for the rest of his life.

Overhearing this, Fire Lord Zuko patted Mako on the shoulder and gave him advice about scar-care. It was a surreal experience.

He was leaning against a wall, watching Bolin twirl Opal round the dance floor and wondering if it was too early to go home, when he felt someone's shoulder gently nudge his good arm. He turned to see Korra holding out a glass of champagne for him, grinning.

"I've just left Wu with Raiko. They're talking about Wu stepping down as Earth King, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone look as relieved as Raiko did when Wu told him the news," Korra said. Mako snorted.

"I'm not surprised," he said wryly, plucking the glass from Korra's fingers. "I think more than a few people will be glad to hear about that."

Korra nodded her head in agreement, sipping from her own glass of champagne. "Yeah. But for a while there I thought he might have the potential to be a good King. Especially considering what the last Earth monarch was like. Maybe the Earth Kingdom needed someone like him. A bit of a character, you know?"

Mako grinned. "He's definitely a character, but I think he's making the right decision. Wu's best in small doses. You wouldn't want too much of him. Trust me, I've spent the last few months going to the bathroom with him."

"That's still weird."

"I know."

Korra smirked at the firebender, and in one fluid movement drank the remainder of her champagne. Mako raised an eyebrow at her as she placed the glass on a passing waiter's tray. Korra rolled her eyes at the look on his face.

"Relax, cool guy. It's the only drink I've had tonight."

Mako shrugged, placing his drink on a nearby table. "I didn't say anything."

She bumped her shoulder against his. "You didn't have to."

The music filtering onto the dance floor changed its tempo, Hasook taking Tahno's place as the front man of the band as the music slowed down. Korra closed her eyes for a moment, leaning against the wall as she let the soft melody wash over her.

"I love this song," she said, opening her eyes and smiling. "Want to dance?"

Mako's arm hurt. He was tired. He had meant to leave the wedding five minutes ago.

"I'd love to."

Korra's face split into a grin as she clasped the firebender's hand, about to pull him onto the dance floor, when a voice called out Mako's name. Korra's hand slipped out of his as they turned to face Lin.

"Hey, Chief," Mako said, straightening his posture as she approached.

"Detective. Avatar." Lin said, nodding to Mako and Korra respectively.

"Hi, Lin," Korra said chirpily. "How are you finding the wedding?"

Lin raised an eyebrow at Korra, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"It's wonderful," the chief of police replied, her voice just betraying the sarcasm she was failing to completely hide, before turning to Mako. "I wanted to talk to you about when you might consider rejoining the force. Now that Wu doesn't need a bodyguard, I thought you might want your old job back. Once your arm has healed, of course."

Mako blinked at his boss. "Uh, yeah. That would be great!" he replied.

"I'm glad to hear you'll be coming back, Mako. The force hasn't been the same without you." A slight grin appeared on Lin's face. "I thought we could ease you back into the job, start off with some paperwork while your arm is healing, which I know may take a while but-"

"And I think that's my cue to go," Korra interrupted. "I'll leave you two to talk business," she said, smiling at the two detectives.

Mako began to protest, but then he saw the look on Korra's face and realized that this wasn't about privacy. He saw her eyes flick towards his sling, and it occurred to him that she felt guilty about what happened to him. He nearly died defending Republic City against Kuvira, and was now scarred permanently (which Lin kept inadvertently reminding her of) from a fight which she had been in charge of.

She didn't know he would do it all again in a heartbeat for her. And he sure as spirits wasn't about to say it in front of Lin.

So he nodded in understanding, and he saw the relief in her eyes. She smiled at Lin as she said goodbye, and affectionately poked Mako.

"You owe me a dance though, cool guy," she said, grinning.

"Well, you can call in that debt anytime," he joked. He could practically _feel_ Lin roll her eyes at them.

Korra snorted as she turned away. He watched her go, now used to the feeling of emptiness that took her place whenever she walked away.

He saw Tenzin follow Korra, and turned back to face his boss. He was surprised to see a softness in her face that usually only appeared when she was talking to members of her family. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words refused to come out. A look of understanding passed between them as Lin's eyes followed Korra.

"Some torches never go out, Mako. They fade to embers, but they never die completely," she said quietly, meeting Mako's gaze. He wondered if she was talking about him and Korra, or her and Tenzin. He didn't dare ask.

Instead, he picked up his glass of champagne from the table and took a sip.

"Don't I know it."


	4. The Lunch

"It won't be for long," Korra said, an edge of desperation in her voice. "I just- _we_ just need a break from Republic City. Only for a week, I promise."

Mako looked up from the bowl of noodles in front of him, meeting Korra's gaze.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you going on vacation to the spirit world while we're trying to rebuild the city is a good idea. What if we need you? What if we need Asami? She's the brains behind this whole project!"

"I know it isn't ideal-"

"Not _ideal?_ Korra, we're trying to re-establish a sense of security here, and you're a pretty important part of that. Not to mention the fact that if you're in the spirit world, we won't be able to contact you if something goes wrong. Yeah, it's not exactly _ideal._"

His words cut through the space between them, causing silence to fall instantaneously. Mako sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I'm sorry, Korra. That was out of line." He said. Korra shook her head slightly.

"No,you're right. It's not a good time. But Mako, I don't think there ever _will_ be a good time. Right now there's peace in Republic City, in the entire Four Nations. Asami and I want to go now, while we're not needed to save the City. Everything's as under control as it can be, and we need to seize the opportunity while we can," Korra said, leaning forward slightly as she spoke.

Mako let out a soft sigh, picking up his chopsticks to move the noodles around in his bowl.

"Fair enough," he said as he picked up a noodle, only to watch it slip through the chopsticks. "It's best to go before anything serious has time to happen. I have one question, though."

"Shoot, city boy."

"Why are you telling _me_ this?" He asked. "Why aren't you checking with Beifong?"

Korra propped her head in her hands as she leant on the table.

"I wanted you to know first. And I figured if you were on board with it and Beifong needed some convincing, you could maybe put in a good word?"

Mako pointed a chopstick at her accusingly. "You're using me for my position on the force? Shame on you, Avatar!" he joked, a grin growing on his face.

Korra smirked at him. "But isn't it the duty of the police to help the Avatar?" she asked innocently.

"Well yeah, when you're helping to save the world, which I'm not _quite_sure that you going on vacation counts as..."

Korra pouted, causing Mako to chuckle.

"Fine. Whatever the Avatar needs. I'll hint to Beifong that a holiday might help you convince the spirits to help rebuild the city or something."

"Really?" Korra asked, delight lighting up her face.

Mako shrugged. "I said I'd always have your back, and I meant it."

"Thank you so much, Mako!" Korra exclaimed.

"Thank me after Beifong approves it, okay?"

Korra smirked. "I created a spirit portal out of an energy beam. I think I can convince Beifong to let me go away for a week."

"You may find that making a spirit portal is easier."

Korra laughed before picking up her own bowl of sea prunes, and Mako couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Korra?" he said, drawing the Avatar's attention away from her food.

"Mhm-hm?" Korra mumbled, her mouth full of water tribe delicacies.

"I'm really happy for you and Asami. I don't think I've said it yet, but I am."

A blush stained Korra's cheeks as she swallowed her food.

"Asami and I- we haven't – I mean, it's not _official-_"

Mako chuckled. "It may as well be," he said, smiling at her. "You two are great together. And I know the others think so too."

"The others...?"

"You guys thought we couldn't _tell?_ Bolin and Opal have had a bet on how long it would take you two to get together for a fortnight now! Opal won, by the way." Mako didn't think it was possible for Korra to blush any more. He was wrong.

Her hand reached across the table to grasp his, a shy smile on her face.

"Thank you," she said. Mako laced his fingers between hers, desperately trying to ignore his increasing heart rate.

"There's nothing to thank me for," he said gently. "Just look after each other, okay?"

Korra rolled her eyes. "You know we will."

The rest of the meal passed too quickly for their liking; it seemed like they barely saw each other anymore, they were both so busy. After Mako finished his food, the pair got up to leave the restaurant.

"I'll probably see you at the station tomorrow," Korra said cheerfully. "If I meet with Beifong at around twelve, did you want to grab some lunch afterwards?"

"Sounds good," Mako replied.

The two of them walked together for a while before going their separate ways. Korra pulled Mako into a hug before they parted, whispering "thanks again for agreeing to help me with Beifong" into his ear. She pulled away and began to walk away, turning back halfway up the street to wave goodbye

He waved back at her before turning around, heading to his apartment.

A mixture of feeling welled up within him. He _was_happy for Korra and Asami. He was thrilled that two of his closest friends had fallen for each other, and were beginning a relationship.

He just couldn't help the voice in his head saying '_I wish it was me.'_


	5. The Headline

He knew what she was going to say before she said it. He could see the mischievous glint in her eye, the smirk forming on her face. His head was already in his hands when she began to speak.

"So, I hear you're a hit with the ladies recently."

Mako moaned into his hands.

"Whatever you've read in the papers _isn't true,_Korra," he said, his palms resting on his temples as he propped his elbows on the dinner table. He had accepted the invitation to eat with Tenzin and his family without hesitation – he had a book which he had promised to lend to Jinora anyway – but hadn't expected the constant questioning about his love life.

His face had appeared in the newspapers that morning, smiling at a girl during the medal presentation ceremony the day before.

**NEW LOVE FOR REPUBLIC CITY HERO?** The title had exclaimed, before stating that Mako had worked with the girl during the evacuation, and the smile between them must mean they were in a relationship.

It wouldn't have been so bad if the same newspaper hadn't tried to link Mako with Fire Lord Izumi's daughter the week before. (Mako was still slightly impressed that they had attempted to make a connection between the two, considering he'd never actually _met_ the Fire Princess...) But the recurring question of 'who's Mako dating?' in the media had led to speculation from his friends.

He had expected Ikki to be curious. He wasn't surprised when Pema had kindly asked him if he had met someone special. Heck, he wasn't that shocked when Jinora had asked him privately if he was dating anyone when he was handing over the book he'd promised to give her.

When _Tenzin_ had asked him, however, he had been taken by surprise.

The inquisition into his romantic life had ended with dinner, the conversation changing into whose turn it was to wash up. Ikki and Meelo were bickering over who should wash and who should dry when Korra entered.

"How was your date with Asami?" Ikki had immediately asked the Avatar. Korra sat down next to the young girl, and told her about their trip on a turtle-duck boat. Eventually the air family filtered out of the room, Pema dragging her three youngest children into the kitchen to help her clean up, whilst Jinora and Tenzin went to meditate.

And so, Korra's questioning began.

"I just want to know why I wasn't told that you'd fallen in love with one of the radio operators during the evacuation. I'm hurt, Mako. Deeply, deeply hurt." She teased, her head resting on her palm.

"Because we're 'keeping it secret as I fear that our love may offend the Fire Princess', I think. At least, that's what the Republic City Times says. I don't even know this poor girl's name, and she's been put in a fictional love triangle with me. I feel so bad for her!" Mako's head dropped onto the table with a thud.

Korra chuckled slightly, moving to sit next to him. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"There, there. I wouldn't feel too bad if I were you. You know she's engaged, right?"

"I did not," Mako said, his voice muffled by the wood of the table.

"Well, there you go! The media will stop pairing you off with her when they find out, right?"

Mako lifted his head slightly, looking at the girl next to him.

"Actually, that'll probably make it worse," he said, before laying his head back on the table. Korra patted his head affectionately.

"I just want you to know, I hope you, the Fire Princess, this random woman, _and_ her fiancée will be very happy together."

"Thank you."

"Now get up. I want to show you this awesome firebending form I learned in the spirit world."

"Right this second?"

"Yep. Come on Mako, it'll be like probending training!"

"Bolin isn't here."

"...It'll be _kind of_ like probending training!"

Mako pulled himself off the floor as Korra headed towards the door, leaving him in the room.

"Come _on_ Mako," he heard her voice call. As he went to follow her, her head popped round the door, a grin on her face.

"You know, it could be worse," Korra said, her eyes sparkling. "They could be pairing you off with Beifong!"

She laughed at the look of horror that crossed his face, and walked away toward the training area of Air Temple Island. Mako shook his head, as if that could get rid of the disturbing images Korra had put there, and began to walk after her.


	6. The Police Station

She had been crying.

Lin had called Korra into the station to discuss the growing threat of the triads and the new gang forming on the streets, and the use of spirit energy to create weapons. She had been late, and Beifong had needed to start the meeting without her. When Korra walked in, everyone could sense her bad mood, and Lin made the wise decision of not questioning why the Avatar was late. Korra placed herself in the seat designated for her, next to Mako, and radiated negativity.

He could see the remnants of tear tracks that Korra hadn't quite wiped away (_probably in a rush to get here_, he thought) and the redness of her eyes, and knew that something was wrong.

The meeting dragged on, with Korra not participating as much as she usually did. When Lin finally ended the meeting, Mako lingered to talk to his friend. He exchanged a look with Lin, who quickly looked at Korra and nodded at him, silently giving him permission to stay.

Whilst everyone else left, Korra remained in her seat, looking down at her hands in her lap. Mako placed a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it as a sign of reassurance.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked gently. Korra shook her head.

"Okay," Mako said, pulling up a seat next to her so that he could face her. "Want me to go?"

Korra shook her head again.

"Do you want me to stay here but shut up?"

Korra nodded, sniffing slightly.

"Okay then."

They sat for a while, Mako leaving Korra to her thoughts. They had been friends for a while, and he knew that he shouldn't push her.

His patience paid off; Korra lifted her head, eyes squeezed closed as she spoke.

"Asami and I broke up."

Mako contained his surprise; the two had been together for years, and everything had seemed to be going well for them.

"How come?" the firebender asked.

Korra let out a sigh.

"I can't give her what she wants. And... she can't give me what _I_ want. Not anymore, at least."

Mako raised an eyebrow inquisitively, which he quickly lowered when she turned to face him.

"It's just... she's always been in Republic City. It's her home, her _life_. And that hasn't been a problem, but she started to talk about marriage, and kids, and the future, and it's all based here. Mako, I can't _do_ that. I don't want to only live in Republic City. I _can't_. I'm the Avatar, I have to – no, I _want_ to travel the world. And for a while, Asami was happy to do that, but now she wants to settle in Republic City. Which is great. But it's not what I want. And we... we had a fight."

"What about?" Mako asked.

" Neither of us wanted what the other did, and now Asami's running Future Industries and multiple factories in the city and won't leave for long, but I can't stay in one place, and we couldn't find a good compromise. I said I could maybe live in Republic City but travel constantly, but Asami didn't feel comfortable with that and wanted me to make Republic City my full time home, and travel occasionally. But I couldn't agree to it. So we ended it." Korra replied, her voice catching.

Mako got up to wrap his arms around Korra. Tears were trailing down her cheeks, and her face burrowed into his shoulder as she silently cried.

"I'm sorry," Mako said quietly as he held her. "I'm so, so sorry."

Korra sniffed, and pulled away from the embrace. Wiping the tears from her face, she stood up.

"Me too," she replied, meeting his eyes. She rubbed the tear tracks from her face, and took a deep breath.

"I should go," she said, straightening her posture. "I have to move my stuff back to Air Temple Island. Before Asami gets back."

Mako nodded, before pulling her into another hug.

"I'm here if you need me," he said. He felt Korra nod into his shoulder and let her go, holding the door open for her as she walked out.

Part of him felt like he should go after her and make sure she was alright, but he knew that breakups were hard.

Sometimes you just needed to walk alone for a while.


	7. The Second Wedding

Korra wasn't sure she'd ever seen Mako look so proud. Standing a few steps behind Bolin, watching his little brother say his wedding vows, Korra honestly thought that the firebender might cry.

Korra hadn't expected to be asked to officiate the wedding of Opal and Bolin, but she had accepted the role immediately when she was. She would never have refused her friends _anyway_, but when Opal had told Korra that it was really because of her that she and Bolin had met and that it would mean _so much_ if she would marry them, Korra had been too overwhelmed with emotion to say no.

The wedding was interesting, to say the least. Combining air nomad and earth kingdom traditions had caused some difficulties, but the bride and groom had insisted on honouring both cultures. And, Korra thought to herself as she declared her two friends as husband and wife, they'd done a pretty good job of it. Opal's strapless green and white dress did not cover the tattoos gracing her arms and shoulders, and the opal and emerald ring Bolin slid onto Opal's finger seemed to represent the couple perfectly.

The after party was in full swing when Korra found Mako in the meditation pavilion, looking over Yue Bay.

"Why is it I always find you on the outskirts of the party?" she joked, moving next to him to face the moon's reflection on the water. Mako's eyes flicked towards her, a small smile curling onto his face.

"You know me, I like to shake things up a bit." He replied. Korra raised an eyebrow.

"By playing hide and seek?"

"We're not too old for fun, Korra."

She shook her head slightly, rolling her eyes. Noticing that his attention had moved back to the view in front of them, concern welled up in Korra at the melancholy look that had appeared on Mako's face. Placing a hand on his arm, she stepped closer to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Mako blinked, bringing himself out of his thoughts as he turned to look at her. She saw his eyes snap to her hand on his arm before meeting her eyes. He shook his head, smiling gently at her.

"Nothing, I'm just a bit tired," he said. "Not the best attitude for a wedding, I know," he laughed unconvincingly. Korra narrowed her eyes at him.

"Mako, I've known you for nearly a decade. If you were tired, you'd be sitting at a table grumpily, probably with Beifong, ordering ridiculous amounts of coffee. What's _actually_ wrong?" Korra folded her arms, a gesture which Mako had learnt meant that she wasn't going to let something go. He sighed, and leant on the railings of the pavilion.

"It's stupid. I was watching Bolin dance with Opal, and it reminded me of Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding, and all of a sudden it felt like time was passing way too quickly. I just needed to get away for a while."

Korra was silent for a moment, and then moved to lean against Mako, her head resting on his shoulder. The intimate gesture startled him, and he instinctively slid an arm around Korra's shoulders, the ends of her newly-cut hair tickling his sensitive arm.

"I know what you mean," Korra said softly. "It hit me recently that I came to Republic City nearly ten years ago. It was terrifying, because all I could think was 'where did the last decade go?' But then I realised that it's gone so quickly because it's been _good_, you know? I mean, not all of it. Not all of it..." her voice trailed off, and Mako knew she was thinking about losing her bending, her fight with Unaloq, her encounter with the Red Lotus, the battle for Republic City, the bomb at the probending stadium . Mako squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, hoping that she didn't get lost in the memories of her suffering.

"But most of it," he finished for her. "We've had a good ten years." Korra nodded, taking a deep breath and forcing her eyes open.

"Exactly." Korra said. She spun to face Mako, wrapping her arms around him to draw him into a hug which he returned wholeheartedly.

She pulled away after a moment, eyes sparkling. "Besides, even if the future arrives too fast, at least I know that you've always got my back, right?" she grinned. Mako blushed slightly.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Hey, you're the one who's willing to follow me into battle."

"A sentence I deeply regret saying," he joked, shaking his head dramatically.

Korra snorted. "Well, you can't take it back. So there."

"_So there?_ I didn't realise we were twelve."

"Oh, shut up," she said, bumping her shoulder against his. A comfortable silence fell between them, which Korra ended up breaking.

"Did you meet Asami's new girlfriend? She's sweet," Korra said, surprising Mako.

"Uh, yeah. I did. They invited Maya and I on a double date."

"That's nice. What did you say?"

"I had to tell them no."

"How come? Maya would really like Asami's girlfriend, they'd get along really well!"

"Well, Maya and I broke up, so a double date isn't really on the cards."

"Oh." Korra said awkwardly. "I'm sorry to hear that, I thought you two were a great couple."

Mako shrugged noncommittally. "We were okay."

Korra knew she shouldn't ask, but couldn't help herself.

"How come you broke up?"

Mako paused, and Korra thought that she'd crossed a line. When he spoke, a sense of relief washed over her.

"She wasn't... we didn't work. We were good for a while, but I guess she wasn't what I needed." Mako said. Korra slid her arm through his.

"I'm sorry," she said sympathetically. Mako smiled gently.

"It's okay. It's for the best, to be honest." Deciding that he wanted to change the subject before Korra delved any deeper into his relationship issues, Mako asked her if she and Asami were friends again. They had been on awkward terms for a year or so. Korra smiled at the question.

"Yeah, we are. It was awkward for a while – it always is when you break up even though you still love each other – but I've never exactly been one to let a break up stand in the way of friendship, and I care for Asami too much to lose her from my life. So we met up, had a really long talk, and we're all good." Korra said happily.

"I'm glad to hear it," Mako said honestly. Then, steeling himself for the question, he asked "How about you? Any 'romantic entanglements', as the media would say?"

Korra snorted.

"Nope. In spite of Ikki's best efforts, I'm entanglement-free." At the questioning look on Mako's face, Korra elaborated.

"Ikki's decided I need to be in love to be happy, so she's been trying to set me up with anyone she thinks is a good candidate. _Anyone._To be fair, she has pretty good taste, but still. Ikki... doesn't know what I want. I do. And I can't have it, but I can't settle for anything less, you know?"

Mako turned to look at her sharply, noticing the blush forming on her face. He wondered if she meant she was still in love with Asami; he wondered, for a split second, if she knew that she had just described the reason he had split up with Maya. Trying to keep his voice steady, he attempted to lighten the mood.

"Sounds like a fun situation."

"You have no idea," Korra said drily, turning to face him with a tired smile. He was about to ask more when, as if they'd summoned her by saying her name, they heard Ikki's voice.

"Korra! _Korra!"_ the young woman yelled, running towards the pair. Yanking her long dress up to her knees so she could move more easily, Ikki skidded to a stop in front of them, an enthusiastic grin on her face.

"Hey, Mako! Korra, you _have_ to come with me. There's this girl, she's _gorgeous_, and I think you'd really like her! She's, like, really spiritual, and she's smart and she's _super_ fun! You need to meet her!" Ikki was practically jumping with excitement as she grabbed Korra's hand, her hair buns bouncing along with her.

Korra was taken aback by Ikki's undiluted enthusiasm, and Mako fully expected her to go with the airbender out of shock. However, Korra gently removed her hand from Ikki's, taking a step back as she smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Ikki, but I think I'm going to pass." Ikki's face dropped.

"Are you sure? Because this girl is awesome. Even Asami says you'd be good together." Ikki said hopefully. Korra shook her head.

"I'm sure," she replied. Ikki blinked, and almost immediately regained her enthusiasm.

"Okay then! But if you change your mind, you know where to find me! I'm gonna head back and make sure Opal hasn't cut the cake yet!" Ikki hitched up her skirt again and sped off towards the party. Mako and Korra blinked in bewilderment.

"A lot of things change, but Ikki's enthusiasm doesn't. It's kind of reassuring," Mako said. He nudged Korra gently, causing her to meet his gaze. "You can go after her if you want. You don't have to stay with me."

Korra's cheeks darkened slightly, but her eyes never left Mako's.

"Thanks," she said, "but I'd rather be with you." There was a determination in her voice, an emotion Mako couldn't quite catch. Korra tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear, her mouth quirking upwards. "Besides, you still owe me a dance, cool guy."

Mako's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he realized.

"Seriously? Korra, Varrick's wedding was what, five years ago?"

"Hey, you said I could call in that debt anytime, if I remember correctly."

"Your memory astounds me."

"Come on, Mako, dance with me. Please?"

Mako looked at her, and couldn't have refused even if he'd wanted to. He nodded, and Korra beamed at him. She began to walk out of the pavilion as Mako followed a couple of steps behind. She paused when she realized he wasn't next to her, taking his hand when he caught up.

"We don't have to if you don't want to, you know," she said softly.

Mako looked at her, and noticed that she seemed less confident than usual, that the possibility of his rejection was making her... nervous? Mako's heart skipped a beat as he tightened his grip on her hand.

"I want to. I really, really do," he said, his voice giving the words a completely different meaning. Korra smiled, and began to walk back towards the party, this time with Mako next to her.


	8. The Morning After

He woke up, and she was gone.

Her side of the bed was empty; her clothes, which had been strewn across the room, had been gathered up. There was nothing to suggest that she had stayed the night.

But she had; if she was regretting it, if she had changed her mind about them, if she thought they had made a mistake, it didn't change the fact that she had stayed, even after Mako had given her the chance to leave.

Mako tried to ignore the ache in his heart as he looked at the remnants of the meal on the table, takeaway boxes hastily put down in the rush to move to the bedroom. He began to clean up, and wondered if he should call her to check she was alright, and let her know that he wasn't holding her to anything.

At least he didn't have to watch her walk away this time, he told himself.

It didn't help.

He was washing up when he heard the key in the lock, and wondered why Bolin was visiting him this early in the morning. _Maybe Korra sent him to talk to you so she doesn't have to_, he thought for a second.

"Hey, Bo," he called as he heard the door shut. "I'm in the kitchen." He heard a bag being placed on the just-cleaned table, and smiled slightly. Sometimes Opal sent Mako meals, as she knew he didn't always have time to cook; training to be the new Chief of Police was a busy job.

He didn't expect to feel Korra's arms wrap around his waist as she kissed the back of his neck.

"Morning, cool guy," she mumbled. He spun around from the sink, and pulled her into his arms.

"Mako?" she asked as he buried his face in his hair, holding her tightly.

"You came back," he whispered, and he felt Korra's hands slip up his torso and wind around his neck. "You _came back_," he repeated.

"I went to get breakfast, of course I was going to come back," she said. She withdrew slightly, hands resting on his shoulders. "Did you think I'd just leave you like that?"

He thought of all the times he'd watched her leave, and couldn't bring himself to answer, instead pressing a kiss on the top of her head. Her hand moved to the back of his head as she raised her mouth to meet his, his arms wrapping around her waist. When they separated breathlessly, Korra rested her forehead on Mako's.

"Just so you know, I'm not going anywhere. This – _us_ – is what I want. With you is where I want to be. Always." She paused. "Unless you don't want to."

Mako pulled away from Korra, his hands resting on her hips as he pretended to think about it.

"Well, the thing _is_, Korra..." he said, watching as she raised an eyebrow inquisitively. He leaned down for another kiss, before whispering in her ear.

"I really like you, and I think we were meant to be together."


End file.
